MANILA — Malacañang said the recent ruling of the Commission on Audit (COA) upholding the disallowance of P73 million in confidential funds of the Office of the Vice President in 2022 reinforces efforts to strengthen accountability in government spending.

Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said in a briefing in Iloilo City that the COA decision contradicts earlier claims that the funds were properly and transparently used.

“Nagpapatunay lang po ito na yung unmodified opinion, kung saan sinasabi nilang transparent at naayos at nagamit ng mabuti ang pondo, ito po ay pinasisinungalingan ng COA sa very recent decision nila,” she said.

Castro said the administration supports swift action from oversight bodies to address possible irregularities in public funds.

She added that disallowance findings should be treated as indicators that may warrant further investigation.

“Even before naman po, uulitin po natin, ang nais ng Pangulo talaga ay malinis ang gobyernong ito mula sa korapsyon,” Castro said.

She also cited the role of oversight institutions such as the COA and the Anti-Money Laundering Council in strengthening financial accountability in government.

“‘Yun din naman po ang gusto ng gobyerno – kung sino po yung may sala, dapat ang COA ay mabilis kumilos. Hindi lang po ang COA, pati po ang AMLC, mabilis kumilos,” she added.

Based on COA’s notice, the disallowance covers P73.287 million in confidential expenses incurred by the Office of the Vice President from December 21 to 31, 2022.

This includes P69.787 million in rewards and P3.5 million for equipment such as tables, chairs, desktops, computers, and printers.

The COA ruling requires the Office of the Vice President to return the disallowed amount to the government.